Bahamas: Man released without charge after American wife falls overboard; search ongoing

Bahamas: Brian Hooker, who was arrested in relation to his wife’s disappearance, was released by the police without any charge on Monday April 13, 2026. His wife, Lynette Hooker, disappeared after falling into the sea while in a small boat near Elbow Cay on April 4.

Brian Hooker was arrested on April 8 for questioning by the Bahamian authorities. He said that his wife fell from the small boat in the water with boat keys. She was carried away from him due to strong water currents, as he paddled towards the shore to get help.

A search was conducted by local police, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, and the Hope Town Fire & Rescue Service, but did not find Lynette.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force, in discussion with the Department of Public Prosecutions, decided to release Brian from detention after four days due to lack of evidence.

Brian was released by the police shortly after 8:00 pm, as he left the area without interacting with the media. His attorney Terrel Butler told the media, “I am happy to see justice, that justice is really working in this country. They had no evidence and they had no choice but to release him.”

Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, also spoke to the press on Wednesday, April 8. She said that she will accept her mother’s disappearance as an accident if the investigation is comprehensive.

She also received a voice message from Brian that said, “Hello, honey, I just got a call from Hope Town Search and Rescue, and they have found a flotation device that I threw to mom when she fell overboard. They haven’t found her yet, but they can now focus all of their efforts in a smaller area.”

Karli Aylesworth also told the media on April 9 that Brian also abused her mother. She said that her mother told her that he made an attempt to strangle her before. The mother also told her daughter in January that he threatened to throw her from one of their flights in 2024.

Rejecting all these claims, Brian’s attorney said that all these accusations are baseless.

It was later revealed that Lynette was previously taken into custody in Michigan by Kentwood police for “assault & battery/simple assault” in 2015. Both the individuals blamed each other and told the police that they were struck multiple times by their partner. The case was also closed due to lack of evidence.

Brian’s attorney told the media, “My client maintains his innocence, and he denied all allegations. He’s just hoping to have closure, to be released so that he can continue to search to find out what has happened to his wife.”